Compressed gas bomb



H. R. MOORE COMPRESSED GAS BOMB Dec. 18, 1951 Filed 001:. 12, 1945 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT oFFic --(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883,--"as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to-a compressed gas bomb.

'Although the-explosive force of the chemical reactions-of compressed gases has-been-long rec ognized, bombs utilizing this force have been little used because-of the difficulty of controlling the detonation of the gases and because of the danger involved-infiliingand handling-containers.

It is an'object of this invention to provide a compressed gas bomb which can be detonated by time-controlled electrical means.

' Another object is to provide a compressed gas bomb in which reactant gases are contained in separate compartments.

Another object is to provide a thermoelectric devicefor eliminating safety barriers between reactant gases-in a compressed gas bomb.

Further objects and advantages of this invention, as well as its construction, arrangement and operation, will be apparent from the following description and claims in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view of a compressed gas bomb comprising time-controlled thermoelectric detonating means.

Fig. 2 is asectional view of a compressed gas bomb similar to that of Fig. l, but comprising separate chambers for the reactant gases.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modification of the. compressed gas bomb of Fig. 2, comprising a solid explosive used to bring about mixture and detonation of the reactant gases.

The embodiment illustrated by Fig. 1 comprises a casing I I, separated by barrier i2 into a reactantgas chamber i3 and a neutral chamber I' l. Barrier 12 can be of fusible material, or can be provided with an inset window 15 of fusible material. Adjacent window 15 in neutral chamber I4 is a thermoelectric element 16, which is energized by batteries I '1 upon the closing of switch l8.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, two barriers l2a. and I22; are provided in casing Ha, separating the interior of easing i la into a central neutral chamber Ma and two reactant gas chambers l3a and 1312. A thermoelectric element lfia is .provided in neutral chamber i 4a. adjacent each of the barriers l2a and 12b, or adjacent each of the windows l5a and 5b in barriers 12. Battery Ila energizes element 18a upon the closing of switch lBa.

Another embodiment (Fig. 3) comprises a casing I I0 divided into reactant gas chambers 13c and 1312 by two barriers I20 and l2d, the barriers I 2 also forming a; neutral chamber I40 between 2 them. The neutral chamber is filled with a solid explosive l 9, and any conventional detonating means '2llcan' be provided'therefor, such as an electrical timing mechanism,a time fuse, or the like.

The casings ll, Ila and He are preferably of steel and similar to those used for commercial high pressure gas cylinders. The wall thickness of the casings must be great enough to safely contain the reactant-gases stored therein atthe pressure selected but not so great as to'prevent rupture with-destructive efiects when the contained reactant-gases are detonated. In-the embodiment illustrated by Fig.-1*the reactant gas chamber 13 can be filled-witha pressurized single gas-capable of explosivedecomposition, such as nitric oxide or nitrosyl chloride, ori-t can be filled with-a pressurized mixtureof gases capable of being activated to detonation with a great spontaneous free energy decrease. Some combinations of gases capable of being activated to'detonation withlarge spontaneous free energy decreases are *carbon monoxide and oxygen, hydrogen and oxygen, nitric oxide and oxygemhydrogen and chlorine-,-sulphur and oxygen, methane and oxygen, ethane -and-oxygen,and acetylene and oxygen.

Such a gas 'or mixture-of gases can be compressed into reactant chamber l3. The neutral chamber [4 is preferably pressurized to thesame pressure with an inert gas-such as nitrogen, to equalize the pressureon either side of'barrier l2. The bomb can be detonated by closing switch l8, allowing current to flow from batteries through thermoelectric element It. Thermoelectric element 16 can be a lime-coated metal strip, thoriated tungsten, Nichrome wire, or other metallic element-givinga copious discharge of-electrons. Window I5, or the entire barrier I2, is preferably made of anorganic fusible material melting at a relatively low temperature, desirably inthe range 100 to C. Examples of materials which can be utilized 'for window l5 are methyl meth'acrylate polymer, nitrocelture of the thermoelectric element [6, depending on the current delivered by batteries l1 and its resistance; the rapidity of heat transfer to the fusible material of window I5 or barrier 12, which is a function of the distance between the barrier and the thermoelectric element and the thermal conductivity of the inert gas surrounding the thermoelectric, element the thickness and melting point of the barrier material; and the threshold energy of activation required to detonate the reactant gas or gases when contact is made with the heated thermoelectric element. The exer-- cise of mechanical skill suggests numerous ways in which the circuit between batteries ll and the thermoelectric element I6 can be .closed in order to determine the time of detonation. For example, mechanical means can be provided to positively assure closing of the circuit upon release of the bomb from a carrier, which can be in the bomb bay of an aircraft {or on the deck of a ship, whereupon the bomb will explode a predetermined period of time after release, after having dropped a predetermined distance from said aircraft or said ship. 7

Safer for loading and storage is the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, suitable for reactions involving two gases. For example, chamber 13a can be filled with pressurized hydrogen and chamber l3b with pressurized oxygen. The two reactant gases are incapable of detonation separately, and can be detonated only when mixed through the destruction of both barriers I2a and 12b. Another modification may comprise two reactant gas chambers, each containing a compressed reactant gas, with the thermoelectric element in one of the reactant gas chambers adjacent the barrier between them. e

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 involves the use of a solid explosive 19 in the neutral chamber [40 to rupture the barriers I20 and E211. The solid explosive can be detonated by a thermoelectric element I60 or by any conventional time controlled detonating means. The type and quantity of solid explosive should be sufiicient to effectively destroy the barriers [2, but insufficient to rupture the casing l'lc. In this modification the barriers I2c and l2d can be madeof. metal or any other suitable material. A detonation of the solid explosive l9 must have a sufficient force not only to break the barriers I20 and I2d but also to detonate the resulting mixture of reactant gases. Since critical increments of activation energy are known to be inversely proportional to the pressures of reacting gases, the use of a solid explosive as detonating means can be more satisfactory for highly compressed qgases than for those of moderate compression.

A more destructive effect can be obtained by confining the gases to a plurality of reactant gas chambers concentrically enclosing one another, and insulated from each other by thermoelectric element activating sources placed between pairs of compartments. This type of constructioncan exert a very great destructive effect because simultaneous explosion in the various compartments can cause a wider distribution of bomb casing fragments. By varying the types and pressures of reactant gases in the concentric reactant gas chambers, as well as the thickness of the barriers or the resistivity of the thermoelectric elements, various explosions in sequence can be obtained. Alternately, thermoelectric elements in the outer enveloping chambers can be omitted if the detonation from theinnermost chambers is sufficient to break partitions and cause detonations in the, outer chambers;

The compressed gas bomb can further be used as means to detonate solid explosives, or to distribute incendiary material or poisonous gases. Carbon monoxide and chlorine can be used as reactant gases which upon detonation would yield phosgene, and distribute this poisonous gas over a large area.

Chemical reactions between compressed gases are known to have great explosive effect within the range of pressures up to 200 atmospheres. Since brisance, or total explosive effect, can be found to vary as a linear function or higher power of the starting pressures of the interacting gases, pressures up to 800 or even a thousand atmospheres can be utilized, necessitating only the design of suitable casings.

The detonation of the compressed gas bomb depends upon the deliverance of a minimum quantity of activation energy, the critical increment of activation required to set off a gaseous reaction which has a tendency to take place spontaneously because of its negative free energy decrease. In the selection of a suitable pair of reactant gases for the bomb of this invention consideration must be given to the critical increment of activation energy that must be delivered to activate the reactant gases selected to detonation at the pressure to be employed. The activation energy should comprise only a small fraction of the total free energy or brisance evolved by the reaction.

It will be understood that the detonation caused by the chemical reaction of compressed gases difiers from the explosive effects secured with liquid air or liquid oxygen explosives, commonly used in the mining industry. The efiectiveness of such explosives is due to the absorptive capacity of the activated charcoal or other absorbent used for the liquified gases. The explosive energy released is a function of the large volume increase due to the vaporization of the liquid gas, rather than to the spontaneous free energy decrease of a gas reaction. In the normal process of desorption of liquid oxygen from activated carbon, the explosive energy released bears little relation to the free energy of the reaction C+Oz- C02. The present invention relates to a method of utilizing the free energy decrease of gaseous chemical reactions for explosive purposes, as contrasted to the physical process (change of state) operating for liquid air and liquid oxygen explosives.

The utilization of the extremely high free energy decrease of typical gas reactions at high pressures is decidedly advantageous from both military and economic viewpoints. The lower density of compressed gases relative to solid explosives, for example, would enable aircraft to carry loads of greater destructiveness than if they carried bombs utilizing solid explosives. Savings would be effected in using readily available elementary gases, hydrocarbons and other organic gases of high vapor density that do not require chemical conversion to solid explosives. Special detonators, such as mercuric fulminate, are not required.

On ignition, the explosive efiect of gaseous chemical reactions is substantially instantaneous and complete. This is due to the fact that the time required to attain maximum pressure in gaseous explosions is but a few milliseconds. The high destructiveness of gaseous explosions is due to instantaneous dissemination of the gaseous explosive products and rapid attainment of uniform pressure increase throughout the bombv or container. comparatively large surfaces within the container are exposed to many-fold increases in pressure due to the instantaneous chemical conversion of the original gases. The maximum explosive power of solid explosives is seldom utilized, since this total conversion of explosive charge does not occur.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A bomb comprising a hollow casing, a pair of spaced, fusible barriers in said casing forming a first chamber and a pair of separate chambers on opposite sides of the first chamber, said pair of chambers being adapted to contain a pair of chemically reactant substances, one in each of said chambers, and an electrical heating element between said barriers, said element being adapted upon energization to fuse said barriers.

2. A bomb comprising a hollow casing, a pair of spaced, fusible barriers in said casing forming a first chamber and a pair of separate gas chambers on opposite sides of the first chamber, a pair of chemically reactant gases confined one in each of said gas chambers, and an electrical heating element between said barriers, said element being adapted upon energization to fuse said barriers.

3. A bomb comprising an elongated, hollow casing, a pair of spaced, fusible barriers disposed transversely in said casing and forming a longitudinal series of chambers including a first chamber and a pair of separate gas chambers on opposite sides of the first chamber, a pair of chemically reactant gases confined one in each of said gas chambers, and an electrical heating element between said barriers, said element being adapted upon energization to fuse said barriers.

4. A bomb comprising an elongated, hollow casing, a pair of spaced, destructible barriers disposed transversely in said casing and forming a longitudinal series of chambers including a first chamber and a pair of separate chambers on opposite sides of the first chamber, a pair of chemically reactant gases, one in each of said pair of chambers, and an electrical heating element between said barriers in said first chamber, said element being adapted upon energization to cause destruction of said barriers.

HOWARD ROSWALD MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,298,097 Roberts Mar. 25, 1919 1,610,274 Ferrell et a1. Dec. 14, 1926 1,751,659 Rice Mar. 25, 1930 2,083,709 Hayward June 15, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 365 Great Britain of 1891 172,580 Great Britain Dec. 15, 1921 405,645 Great Britain Jan. 29, 1934 

